The season is finally over, and the Indiana Hoosiers have been crowned the National Champs. As it stands that also means they've earned the top spot in the final Pool Poll. It was a wild ride to get here. Indiana took care of business as the number one team, taking Alabama (38-3) and Oregon (56-22) to the woodshed in its first two games of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes were a controversial pick with many believing that Notre Dame belonged instead of them. Perhaps, it was this fire that sparked an early upset of Texas A&M (10-7), then they stunned Ohio State (24-14), before surviving Ole Miss (31-27) in the semifinal. Both came into the game with a defensive playing their best football, while also boasting two top tier QBs (Carson Beck and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza). It was a slight disadvantage for the Hoosiers as the game was played at the Orange Bowl, which just happens to be in Miami's home stadium. Still, with some gutsy calls and big special teams plays, the Hoosiers prevailed to a 27-21 victory.
Elsewhere in the Top 25, we saw coaches plundered away from the overachieving Group of 5 schools and stunning Power 4 moves. Tulane, Utah, James Madison, North Texas, and Ole Miss will all be playing for a different coach in 2026. The most shocking moves were Kyle Wittingham leaving Utah after 20 years for Michigan and Lane Kiffin leaving an Ole Miss team that was a defensive stand from playing in the National Championship, to head to LSU.
One thing is for sure, if you wanted to make the Top 25 this year in the Pool Poll you better have won at least 10 games. The biggest surprises on this list include Conference USA Champs, Kennesaw State, Old Dominion, AAC runner-up, North Texas, Sun Belt Champs, James Madison, and ACC runner-up, Virginia. There was plenty of parity in the college football world this year, but the playoffs didn't allow any Cinderella stories from the Group of 5, another reason Notre Dame fans were left chomping at the bit. Here's a look the final Top 25:
25. UNLV (10-4, 104.2 WA, 51.5 LA)
Preseason Rank: 36
Prediction: 8-4
Season Recap: The Rebels relished in a pretty soft schedule going 7-0 against teams that had a losing record. Their problem is that they began 3-2 against teams with winning records including a regular season loss to Boise State. Still, Dan Mullen's first year in Vegas picked up where Barry Odom left off. UNLV made it back to the Mountain West Championship, but once again were foiled by the Broncos, who won their last MWC before they head over to the Pac 12. It was then off to the Frisco Bowl to take on Ohio.
Bowl Result: 17-10 loss to Ohio
24. Kennesaw State (10-4, 96.3, 49.8, *CUSA Champs)
Preseason Rank: 132
Prediction: 3-9
Season Recap: The 108-spot improvement from preseason to the end of the season was the biggest jump for any team on this list. After a dismal first season at the FBS level, the Owls did a better job taking advantage of their weaker conference foes. They went undefeated against sub .500 teams and then went 4-1 against bowl bound Group of 5 teams. Their losses were to Wake Forest (10-9), Indiana (56-9), and Jacksonville State (35-26). They earned a chance to avenge that last loss in the CUSA Championship and did so with a late rally to knock off the Gamecocks 19-15. Their reward was to play the MAC Champions in the Myrtle Beach Bowl and maybe they wished they would've opted out.
Bowl Result: 41-6 loss to Western Michigan
23. Western Michigan (10-4, 85, 70.3, *MAC Champs)
Preseason Rank: 102
Prediction: 7-5
Season Recap: That's because the MAC Champions were led by Nadame Tucker, who finished tied for the NCAA lead with 14.5 sacks. The Broncos got off to an 0-3 start after losses to Michigan State, Illinois, and an overtime thriller against North Texas. They beat Toledo by one, which proved to be pivotal victory in the MAC standings. Their only blemish came against Miami (OH) in MAC play, knocking off Ohio and claiming the Michigan MAC Trophy with wins over EMU and CMU. They earned a rematch with the Redhawks who were without QB Dequan Finn, who left school just a few weeks earlier to focus on the NFL Draft. Without Finn, the Broncos rolled past Miami 23-13. Then as seen above, drubbed the CUSA champs in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
Bowl Result: 41-6 win over Kennesaw State
22. Alabama (11-4, 59.3, 27.3)
Preseason Rank: 16
Prediction: 9-3
Season Recap: A three loss Alabama snuck into the playoffs and if that doesn't explain the issues with the current format than I don't know what does. Just like a two-loss BYU team they were throttled in their conference championship, but got the benefit of the doubt playing in the SEC. The season started with a loss to a Florida State team that didn't even make a bowl game. Granted, they had some of the best wins, Georgia, Vandy, Missouri, Tennessee, and LSU. Their SEC loss was a two-point loss to Oklahoma, but the Crimson Tide did enough to make the SEC Championship. Georgia got its revenge in a 28-7 beatdown, but to their credit, the Tide got their revenge in the playoffs after trailing by 17 points to Oklahoma, only to beat the Sooners 34-24. In the Rose Bowl, Indiana punched them in the mouth from the get-go and the Big Ten flexed its muscle all over the SEC.
Bowl Result: 34-24 win over Oklahoma, 38-3 loss to Indiana
21. Old Dominion (10-3, 99, 49)
Preseason Rank: 101
Prediction: 3-9
Season Recap: Another huge leap for a Group of 5 that returned the opening kick of the season back for a touchdown to put Indiana down 7-0 (Hoosiers won 27-14). Two weeks later, they kicked the tar out of Va Tech (45-26) for their third win over the Hokies since 2018 (3-4 since 2017). A rough two weeks where they lost to Marshall and James Madison took them out of contention for the Sun Belt, but they still rattled off five straight wins to end the regular season. They drew a depleted USF team in the Cure Bowl and took full advantage of Alex Golesh's exit from the Bulls.
Bowl Result: 24-10 win over USF
20. Houston (10-3, 93.7, 64.7)
Preseason Rank: 77
Prediction: 6-6
Season Recap: Houston was looking pretty good at 7-1 with its lone loss coming against Texas Tech. Then came a mind-boggling loss to West Virginia and a three-point loss to TCU to knock them out of the Big 12 conversation. They knocked off Baylor to finish the regular season with a chance for 10 wins. In a wild Texas Bowl, the Cougars came in clutch late against LSU.
Bowl Result: 38-35 win over LSU
19. Vanderbilt (10-3, 74.1, 36)
Preseason Rank: 60
Prediction: 5-7
Season Recap: No Vanderbilt team had ever won 10 games. No player for Vanderbilt had been up for the Heisman. It was a dream season for Diego Pavia and the Commodores that ended on a sour note. After a 4-0 start they failed to show their legitimacy against Alabama but then knocked off LSU and Missouri. Their next test fell just short with a three-point loss against Texas, but they finished with three straight wins, including a 21-point victory over Tennessee. Pavia had a meltdown after losing the Heisman Trophy to Fernando Mendoza and his comments about how weak the Big Ten was compared to the SEC came back to haunt him in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Bowl Result: 34-27 loss to Iowa
18. Texas (10-3, 61, 43.3)
Preseason Rank: 2
Prediction: 11-1
Season Recap: The Arch Manning hype train was in full effect, but a loss to Ohio State in Week 1 and a shocking loss to Florida had everyone abandoning ship soon after. To his credit, he followed with a 17-point win over Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry but struggled in overtime to beat Kentucky and Mississippi State. Another close win against Vanderbilt was followed with a drubbing by Georgia to eliminate the Longhorns from the SEC conversation. They handed Texas A&M their only loss in the regular season finale to also keep the Aggies out of the SEC Championship. They settled for a battle of bluebloods in the Citrus Bowl where they faced a broken and coachless Michigan team, who had never beaten the Longhorns and still haven't.
Bowl Result: 41-27 win over Michigan
17. Oklahoma (10-3, 54.1, 27)
Preseason Rank: 42
Prediction: 6-6
Season Recap: The Sooners finally got something going under Brent Venables and secured wins over Michigan, Alabama, LSU, Missouri, and Tennessee. Still, they lost to Texas and Ole Miss to eliminate them from SEC Championship contention but did enough to make their first playoff appearance. They looked to put away Alabama early with a 17-0 lead in the second quarter. However, the Crimson Tide erased that deficit with 17 points in the second quarter alone and outscored the Sooners 34-7 from that point on.
Bowl Result: 34-24 loss to Alabama
16. Virginia (11-3, 80.2, 57)
Preseason Rank: 83
Prediction: 5-7
Season Recap: Perhaps the biggest surprise of any Power 4 school was the improvement of the Virginia Cavaliers. Did it end the way they were hoping? Not quite, but honestly, nothing made in the ACC made sense this season. They got off to an unassuming 1-1 start that included a loss to NCST but they earned traction with a double overtime win over Florida State. Then another OT win against Louisville, a two-point over Washington State, and then another OT win against UNC. They stumbled against Wake Forest but knocked off Duke and Virginia Tech to earn their first ever trip to the ACC title game. They could not survive another OT and lost the ACC Championship to Duke and their playoff hopes. They earned a trip to the Gator Bowl instead to take on Missouri.
Bowl Result: 13-7 win over Missouri
15. Tulane (11-3, 75.5, 35, *AAC Champs)
Preseason Rank: 37
Prediction: 9-3
Season Recap: Jon Sumrall gave it one final ride at Tulane before heading to Florida and what an opportunity it was. The Green Wave earned Power 4 wins over Northwestern and Duke, but were dismantled by Ole Miss. They mostly navigated the AAC, losing just once to UTSA. With a chance to make the playoffs, they gave their best performance against North Texas to claim the AAC Championship. Unfortunately, their draw in the playoffs linked them with the team that handed them their biggest loss of the season. It did not go the way they wanted. Will Hall was hired in to replace Sumrall, but his time at Southern Miss was only remembered for how sweaty his shirts were.
Bowl Result: 41-10 loss to Ole Miss
14. Notre Dame (10-2, 66.8, 12)
Preseason Rank: 4
Prediction: 11-1
Season Recap: Notre Dame didn't beat Miami or Texas A&M. Both of those teams made the playoffs. The only bowl teams they beat were Boise State, USC, NCST, and Navy. So yeah, maybe with a garbage resume like that they weren't playoff material. Join a conference you bums.
Bowl Result: Quitters
13. Texas A&M (11-2, 77.1, 23)
Preseason Rank: 34
Prediction: 7-5
Season Recap: The Aggies looked like it might be their year in the SEC. It helped that they didn't face Georgia, Alabama, or Oklahoma. Still, they couldn't quite finish the gamut and lost the most important game of the season to rival Texas. Then they were stuffed at home by Miami in the playoffs to limp off to an embarrassing that was likely foretold by their 1-point win over South Carolina.
Bowl Result: 10-7 loss to Miami
12. Navy (11-2, 89, 22)
Preseason Rank: 30
Prediction: 9-3
Season Recap: Two rough weeks against North Texas and Notre Dame ruined the brief hope of a playoff bid for Navy. However, the Midshipmen accomplished two of their goals which was beat Air Force and beat Army. The latter was in a thrilling one-point win on a late fourth down score. Then they ran it down former AAC foe Cincinnati's throat in the rain-soaked fields of the Liberty Bowl.
Bowl Result: 35-13 win over Cincinnati
11. Utah (11-2, 77.1, 23)
Preseason Rank: 64
Prediction: 7-5
Season Recap: The Kyle Whittingham era ended beautifully with a five-game winning streak capped by a win over Kansas. He handed the reins to defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley and rode off into the sunset a Utes legend. Then came a phone call and he was headed to Ann Arbor. Still, the Utes did not let that distract them in the Las Vegas Bowl where they took out all their frustrations on Nebraska.
Bowl Result: 44-22 win over Nebraska
10. James Madison (12-2, 98.9, 14, *Sun Belt Champs)
Preseason Rank: 43
Prediction: 9-3
Season Recap: It was truly a great season for the Dukes, who still hadn't missed a beat since Curt Cignetti left two years ago. The upped the ante and won the Sun Belt Championship over Troy. Then because the ACC stunk it up so much, they earned an incredible chance to play in the CFP. There were plenty of alarms, like their loss to Louisville, and their best win coming against Old Dominion. Still, they got to play Oregon and after getting blown out in the first half, they made it respectable by scoring 34 points late in the game. Next year, Bob Chesney will be coaching on the opposite coast at UCLA and former Florida head coach, Billy Napier, will take over the Dukes.
Bowl Result: 51-34 loss to Oregon
9. North Texas (12-2, 86.9, 22.5)
Preseason Rank: 96
Prediction: 6-6
Season Recap: What a season for the Mean Green as their lone loss in the regular season came against USF and they were able to make it to the AAC Championship on the strength of their incredible offense. Drew Mestemaker went from never starting in High School to leading the NCAA in passing yards with 4,379 (the only 4,000 yard passer this season). He was aided by Caleb Hawkins, whose 1,434 yards rushing were fifth best, while Wyatt Young finished third in receiving with 1,264 yards. Had they beat Tulane, they would've locked up their first playoff appearance but instead headed out to play San Diego State in the New Mexico Bowl. Head coach Eric Morris and Mestemaker announced that they will be heading to Oklahoma State and that leaves two big holes in Denton. They turn to former Troy and West Virginia coach Neal Brown to lead the reloading process.
Bowl Result: 49-47 win over San Diego State
8. Texas Tech (12-2, 84, 21, *Big 12 Champs)
Preseason Rank: 29
Prediction: 8-4
Season Recap: I don't think anyone would believe you if you said that North Texas and Texas Tech would finish with the best records in the Lonestar State. Still, the Red Raiders did just that, losing only to Arizona State, while knocking BYU off twice to win the Big 12 Championship, the first in school history. Texas Tech seemed to be the most effected by its first-round bye, coming out flat against Oregon and failing to find the scoreboard. The defense did its best to keep them in it thanks to David Bailey, and his NCAA leading 14.5 sacks.
Bowl Result: 23-0 loss to Oregon
7. BYU (12-2, 75.1, 8.5)
Preseason Rank: 9
Prediction: 10-2
Season Recap: The Cougars may not have won the Big 12, but they did beat the Utes, and they did get to eat a sacrificed Pop Tart mascot, so that's a pretty good consolation prize. With the departure of Whittingham, Kalani Sitake becomes the longest tenured coach in the Beehive State.
Bowl Result: 25-21 win over Georgia Tech
6. Ohio State (12-2, 72.3, 5)
Preseason Rank: 1
Prediction: 11-1
Season Recap: They beat Texas. They beat Penn State. They finally beat Michigan. Jeremiah Smith went off again with 1,200 yards receiving. The defense didn't allow more than 16 points in any game heading into the Big Ten Championship. What they didn't do was beat Indiana, meaning it's been since 2020 that the Buckeyes have held that crown. Then after a bye, they got punched in the mouth by Miami on their way to the National Championship game. You just hate to see it.
Bowl Result: 24-14 loss to Miami
5. Georgia (12-2, 66, 12.5, *SEC Champs)
Preseason Rank: 6
Prediction: 9-3
Season Recap: Speaking of teams I don't mind watching lose, Georgia was not as foreboding as years past. They survived Tennessee in overtime, lost to Alabama, then got past Auburn, Ole Miss, and Florida, but it was a struggle. They even struggled in the regular season finale against Georgia Tech. They looked to turn it on late with a punishing win against the Crimson Tide to win the SEC Championship. However, the rusty curse of the first-round bye struck the Bulldogs and it was Ole Miss that exacted its revenge in the quarterfinals.
Bowl Result: 39-34 loss to Ole Miss
4. Ole Miss (13-2, 66, 12.5)
Preseason Rank: 18
Prediction: 9-3
Season Recap: Trinidad Chambliss never wants to leave school and who could blame him? With all the NIL money and the ease at which he threw for 3,937 yards and 22 TDs to just 3 INT (3rd best in the NCAA). It also helped that he had Kewan Lacy in the backfield rushing for 1,567 yards (also 3rd best). Chambliss brought a winning pedigree from Division II where he won the National Championship at Ferris State. The only regular season slip up came against Georgia, but that was enough to keep them out of the SEC Championship. Still, they were a lock for the playoffs, a fact that didn't seem to concern Lane Kiffin as he snuck out in the night to take the LSU job. It was baffling, but the university immediately said that defensive coordinator Pete Golding would be the new permanent coach of the Rebels. Their first playoff test was a rematch against Tulane and the combined to beat the Green Wave 86-20 in their two meetings. Then Chambliss led a late rally past Georgia to get to the semifinals against Miami. It was another back-and-forth affair but this time it was Carson Beck who delivered late to eliminate the Rebels.
Bowl Result: 41-10 win over Tulane, 39-34 win over Georgia, 31-27 loss to Miami
3. Oregon (13-2, 64.1, 5)
Preseason Rank: 5
Prediction: 11-1
Season Recap: That road win at Penn State in overtime looked to be a marquee win but the Nittany Lions fell apart and the moment was short lived after a loss to Indiana. A scare against Iowa was the only other issue the Ducks faced en route to a playoff appearance. They easily dispatched of James Madison and Texas Tech outscoring them 74-34. Then came the rematch with Indiana and Dante Moore probably wished he was sick because the Hoosiers lived in the backfield all day long. The game began with a pick-six and only unraveled from there.
Bowl Result: 51-34 win over James Madison, 23-0 win over Texas Tech, 56-22 loss to Indiana
2. Miami (13-3, 64.9, 29)
Preseason Rank: 10
Prediction: 10-2
Season Recap: The Hurricanes opened the season with a win over Notre Dame, then knocked off giant killer USF, and beat rivals Florida and Florida State. Then came the Louisville Cardinals, who were used to handing teams their first loss (JMU). Two weeks later SMU survived an overtime win. The Canes won out but it was not enough to make the ACC Championship. In all previous polls they sat behind Notre Dame, but perhaps because of the lack of an ACC team in the playoffs, they decided upon the Hurricanes and not the Irish. Many teams probably hoped it was the other way around. The Miami defense came alive in the playoffs with a 10-7 opening round win over Texas A&M. Then an impressive defensive showing against Ohio State and finally they did enough to hold off Ole Miss in the semifinals. The Hurricanes got to return home to the Orange Bowl and play for their sixth National Championship and their first since 2001. Like in 2002, they drew a Big Ten foe in the championship and like that game, it came up short.
Bowl Result: 10-7 win over Texas A&M, 24-14 win over Ohio State, 31-27 win over Ole Miss, 27-21 loss to Indiana
1. Indiana (16-0, 70.6, 0)
Preseason Rank: 17
Prediction: 8-4
Season Recap: Tom Allen won 33 games in 8 seasons at Indiana. Lee Corso won 41 in 10 years. Curt Cignetti has the only two double-digit winning seasons in school history, and his 27 wins are already good for 8th all-time. Oh, and he has their first National Championship. Fernando Mendoza added the first Heisman Trophy win (Antwan Randle El was robbed). It wasn't always pretty, but when they needed a big moment there was Mendoza. A late throw and phenomenal catch to stun Penn State at home. A scare with Iowa and a hard-fought battle with Oregon. It didn't seem impressive on paper, but their first two opponents ended up winning 10 games each (Old Dominion and Kennesaw State). They finally made an appearance in the Big Ten Championship and the grind it out defense and Ohio State's inability to make clutch close field goals allowed Indiana to secure the win. They showed no rust in the Rose Bowl they crushed Oregon's hope but then came Miami. The Hurricanes gave everything they had but a blocked punt touchdown, a fourth down sprint TD for Mendoza, and a late interception made it possible to say for the first time in football, Indiana is the new National Champion!
Bowl Result: 38-3 win over Alabama, 56-22 win over Oregon, 27-21 win over Miami
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